perkins



entrain earner FFTCE.

SETH E. PERKINS, OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO PERKINS ELECTRIC DOORCGNTBOL COMPANY, OF WATERLGO, IOWA.

DOOR-CGNTBQLLING DEVICE.

,Specificatiou of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 252,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'SETHE. PERKINS, citizen of the United States,residing at lVate-rloo, in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Door-Controlling Device, of which thefollowing is a specification. 0

This invention relates to improvements in door controlling'devices, theobjectof the invention being to provide an improved door controloperated by a motor that is carried directly by the door, and whichdevice is so constructed that the motor may continue to rotate while thedoor remains stationary without injury to the motor.

A. further object of theinvention is the provision of a device of thecharacter set forth that may be applied to any swinging or sliding doorwithout the necessity of making any change in the structure of the dooror the manner in which it is hung, and which device is comparativelysimple in construction and economical to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts which will be more fully describedview, partly broken away, illustrating the 1 application of my improvedcontrolling device on a swinging door.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates a pair of doors, to one of whichthe controlling device is applied. The device in the present instancecomprises abase plate or board 3, which may be of any suitable size toadapt it to the particular door on which it is to be used. At one end ofthe board is mounted a small motor 4 having a shaft 5 extendingtherefrom toward the opposite end of the board, a bracket 6 beingsecured to the board and having an upturned perforated ear 7 providing abearingfor said shaft. The bracket 6 also carries a pair of upstandingperforated ears 8 at right angles to the ear 7 forming bearings for ashort shaft 9, at one end of which is secured a pulley 10 so located asto project beyond the edge of the door to which the device is applied.The shaft 9 is adapted to receive rotary motion from the shaft 5 of themotor, a suitable reducing gearing being interposed between such shafts.In the present instance this reducing gearingis shown as comprising abevel gear 11 secured on the shaft 9 and adapted to mesh with a bevelpinion 12-carried by themotor shaft 5, the relative sizes of the pinionand gear being such that the speed of rotation of the shaft 9 isconsiderably reduced as compared with that of the motor shaft 5; Theboard is provided with a'plurality of openings 13 by means of which 1tmay be secured tothe door by screws or bolts and nuts. Around the pulley10 is passed a cable 14, one end of which is secured at a suitable pointon the door-frame and the opposite end to some other fixed point at anangle to the door opening, as for instance an adjacent wall as shown inr the drawing, the tension of the cable being just sufficient to operatethe door when the motor is started. The motor may be placed inelectrical connection with any convenient source of power (not shown)and push buttons located at any convenient point, as shown at 15, foropening and closing the circuit to the motor. A reversing switch, suchfor instance as that shown in m copending application, Serial No.292,929 filed Apr. 26, 1919, may be secured on the board 3, as shown at16 and adapted to automatically reverse the direction of rotation of themotor when the door has reached either extreme open or closed position.The motor, reducing gear and switch are all mounted on the base boardand completely wired ready to be attached to either sliding or swingingdoors.

From the foregoing it will be seen that, as the cable is comparativelyslack on the pulley, should any obstacle be encountered by the door inits swinging or sliding movement the motor can continue to rotate, sincethe pulley will rotate loosely in the loop of the cable, whereby theburning out of the motor before the obstruction can be removed isprevented. It will also be seen that in the use of this device thenecessity of using a latch for holding the door closed is eliminated,since the cable passing around the pulley will hold the door closed orat any point desired when the operation of the motor ceases.

While Ti have deseribed in detail the struc operation of the motor Iclaim is 1 A door-controlling device, comprising a base board adapted tobe mounted on the door and to travel therewith, a motor carried by saidbase board, and means carried by the board and adapted to be operated bythe motor for opening and closing the door, said means being alsoadapted to permit without operating the door.

2. A. door-controlling device, comprising a base board adapted to bemounted on the door and to travel therewith, a motor carried by saidbase board, means carried by the board and adapted to be operated by themotor for openmg and elosmg the door, and

means also carried by the board for revers-- in the direction ofrotation of the motor when the door has reached the extreme limits ofits open or closed position.

3. A door-controlling device, comprising a base board adapted to besecured to the door, a motor mounted thereon, a shaft mounted 011 saidboard and having a pulley secured thereto, gearing between said shaftand the shaft of the motor, and a cable passing around said pulley andhaving its ends secured to fixed points.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses HORACE GILBERT RENO R. REEVE.

